Knowing it well that one must blog regularly to be an effective blogger, I faulted yet again.
Two issues with regard to education in India are in public discourse. First, is about reducing the weight of the school bag. Second, is about reviewing the no-detention policy currently applicable up to Class VIII. Reducing the load of bags has been in public debate for the last two decades in India, ever since Yashpal Committee report became public on the subject. The implication of reducing the load over young shoulders falls under the realm of student’s health, curriculum restructuring, issues around pedagogy and assessment and integration of technology.
It is true that heavy bags have a long term health implication for young children. Some immediate tweaking needs to be affected in the time table thereby reducing the need to carry all books and notebooks to the school every day. Integration of technology, particularly in terms of assignment and referral to learning material can also help. Larger issues around curriculum restructuring require deeper deliberations. Judicious discrimination must be made between what is needed and what is not at a given age. Educationists must sit together and do a revamp of the entire curriculum. There are some talks of knocking out 25% of the syllabus. Well, some caution is required before any such sweeping changes are made.
The about no-detention policy read my next blog.
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